Troops say cutting patrols is a major victory for Taleban

Philip Hammond, the Defence Secretary, insisted that the announcement was not a change of strategyTimes photographer, Paul Rogers

British troops and Afghan National Army commanders were stunned by Nato’s decision to reduce joint patrols after a surge in so-called green-on-blue attacks by local forces against their foreign counterparts. They warned that the move represented a spectacular victory for the Taleban and a symbolic retreat by Britain and its allies and would cause resentment among the ranks if the Afghan police and soldiers felt that they were being abandoned.

Adding to the sense of confusion, British soldiers voiced concern that restrictions on joint patrols would further erode trust between the two sides, damaging a relationship that is critical to the planned exit of foreign troops by the end of 2014.

The strategy hinges on the close bond between British troops and their Afghan partners.…